Retirement in the
state of West Virginia offers a moderate climate and a rural
feel in most of the state. West Virginia is known as
"The Mountain State" for the famous and historic Appalachian
Mountains that cover much of the West Virginia landscape.
Here coal was the king of the economy for most of the 20th
century. Tourism is a fairly new economic powerhouse as
travelers in the state enjoy river rafting, hiking, music
festivals, and much more. West Virginia was part of Virginia but
the two split near the start of the civil war as decisions were
made by political forces on both sides of the secession issue.
Secession was opposed by the northwestern counties of Virginia
and when the state legislature voted to secede from the Union,
these counties split to create a new state, aligned with the
North.
Harpers Ferry National Historic Park is only one of many parks
in West Virginia. Here were important events from the
Civil War era: The doomed 1859 assault by abolitionist John
Brown's band upon the town, and the 1862 surrender of 12,000
Union troops, the largest American capitulation prior to World
War II.
The 900,000 acre
Monongahela National Forest features a wide variety of
attractions, including the climber's fantasyland of Seneca
Rocks, and a dozen rivers with great whitewater rafting.
However, it's the New River Gorge National River that provides
the best whitewater in West Virginia, or the eastern United
States for that matter.
The West Virginia economy was once dominated by mining and
manufacturing, but both are in decline while tourism and
government services are growing. With the relative proximity of
Washington DC, and with West Virginia's spectacular mountains,
forests, and rivers, it's easy to understand the trends.
Some material courtesy
www.U-S-History.com
